They bring clarity and speed to the table. They are analytical but musical. Their strengths are their open sound and the detail they transmit. Their weaknesses are they take FOREVER to break in, and they can reveal any thinness or lack of body in the signal. In my system they replaced PS Audio xStream Statement speaker cables (now in use in my second system). I really like those, but I needed extra length for my relocated system, and in the end, after breakin, I prefer the Styx.

As for the system, see the equipment in my profile list below.

The Decware interconnects have very similar strengths and weaknesses, though I feel that they never quite shed a bit of thinness of sound. I use cryoset.com interconnects in their place, I LOVE these interconnects.

I "discovered" Alpha-Core/Goertz copper and silver foil IC's and speaker wire 5-6 years ago... it has performed so well in every system I've ever put it in, that I thought my cable quests were over - forever. But.. I have recently put together a combo of components where the Goertz is not quite ideal or complementary to the intrinsic sonic character of this system.

Also... I have recently acquired a Torii Mk.III and am getting ready to mate it with some Audio Nirvana Super Cast Frame Alnico 12's in DIY 5.6 cu.ft. cabs... and not sure what I might end up liking there.

I once used Nordost Blue Heaven IC's and speaker wire in another system I had long ago, that was a little dark by nature. The Nordost was just what the doctor ordered to bring the rez and snap up to par in that system. Unfortunately, I sold the Blue Heaven speaker cables a couple of years after getting the Goertz stuff thinking I would never use them again. I do still have Blue Heaven IC's and they did add some snap to this system, but I think some "faster" speaker cables like the Nordost would get me to where I want to be with this system.

I kind of have the impression that the Styx might lean a bit toward the faster, clearer, higher rez side of the road... which is what I'm looking for. I of course heard them at Zenfest last fall, but everything I heard there was new to me and completely out of the context of anything I was familiar with at the time - but there was a lot of great sound there too - nobody can deny that!

I've never used Goertz or Nordost so don't have those as a reference point. Have used TARA Labs and PS Audio of the higher end in both speaker cable and interconnect, and the Zen Styx are less warm and more open than either. More transparent and quick.

I used to use Nordost Heimdall speaker cables, and found them to be a bit more "delicate" than the Zen Styx, meaning slightly more airy top end, maybe a tiny bit more high frequency extension.

However, the Nordost were a pain to use because of how fragile the speaker wire is, and I decided to go back to the Zen Styx again and see how I liked them. I felt it was very hard to tell what I lost without switching back and forth immediately, so I sold the Nordost.

Both cables sound fantastic, and the Zen Styx are regular cables, not some esoteric ribbon that is too fragile in my opinion. You may feel differently, but ever since I sold the Nordost cables I don't miss them.

I don't have a useful comparisons to other wires for you. But I do own Styx because I bought into the whole Decware sound. Avoiding the audio component merri go round, I voted with my $$$ to trust Steve's choices from speaker to cd and dac. Love every Decware thing I have.

About the speaker wires... I do have some old monster cable wire that doesn't sound as good as the Styx.

I think I read it here somewhere and I believe that wires, being passive devices, can do only two things: get out of the way, or block something.

In the worst case, they can block the signal entirely (broken wire), or they can have inductive and capacitive effects that roll/tip frequencies or even smear signals.

In the best case, they can do absolutely nothing to the signal, as if the speaker terminals of your speakers and amp are connected directly to each other (zero wire, no loss, pure fidelity). (of course we would lose sound stage if we parked our speakers and amps that close together).

While I have not compared them to expensive cables, they sound great to me, better than anything else I've heard, and they best match my criteria for what an ideal wire should do: get out of the way. (if that reveals that an upstream Active component is too bright, then I have to deal with that component.)

I don't have the experience to describe them as fast, bright, analytical, transparent. I'll say, for your Amp and Speakers, Styx know best how to show them the Love. (bring them closer together, electrically). :D

appreciate you guys chiming in here. the more I look for "options" with speaker wire - the more options I find - exponentially I think. Is there no end to people designing(ugh hmm) speaker cables and interconnects?!

I am still burning in my Zen Styx (with Silver Banana plugs), in my Bedroom System. I did not want to introduce two changes to my system at once when I got the Super Zen CKC & the Zen Styx.

The Super Zen continues to burn in and bloom.....I can't say enough about it.....open and Organic. As for the Zen Styx, they are fast and articulate (I like um') and with more time on them I will bring them in to the Listening Room System and see how they fare. -Stone

PS-I am finally joining the efficiency camp. My Zu Union's ship out to me today! They have 600+ hours on them from the factory and after I have a handle on them and placement.....the Zen Styx come in.